Chapter 43 : Stubborn Denial
Chapter 43: Stubborn Denial
While preparing breakfast, in order to avoid being executed by her master for reasons like “the texture is too dry,” Lilia deliberately added three extra eggs, stirring the batter until it became incomparably smooth.
Hera ate very slowly.
Lilia stood to the side, hands folded in front of her, head lowered, her posture obedient.
She was waiting.
According to the usual script, after Hera finished eating, she would wipe her mouth, then stride off with those long legs capable of trampling someone to death toward the Council Hall.
Or perhaps go to the study and hand over that pile of documents longer than Lilia’s life for her to process.
But…
Not today.
Hera put down her knife and fork.
The plate was empty.
Lilia immediately stepped forward, skillfully clearing the utensils and handing over a towel.
Hera took the towel and wiped herself unhurriedly.
Lilia stared at those excessively beautiful hands, yet her heart was pounding.
Why wasn’t she moving yet?
Lilia could already imagine that woman Camilla seizing this opportunity to spread rumors again—saying the maid had seduced the Queen, causing the monarch to stop attending court from then on.
“Um… Master?”
Lilia finally couldn’t hold back and cautiously spoke, “The tasks arranged yesterday…”
Hera tossed the towel back onto the tray.
“Let her wait.”
Lilia’s eyelid twitched. “Then… the document auditing in the study…”
“Leave it as well.”
Hera stood up.
The black silk long dress flowed like rippling water with her movement.
Like a wealthy young lady who had just woken up and was about to stroll in her own backyard—of course, that was assuming one didn’t consider her ability to crush a head with a casual squeeze.
Hera walked past Lilia and headed straight toward the side door of the bedchamber.
Lilia froze for a moment.
“Follow me.”
Lilia jolted in fright, even forgetting to put down the tray in her hands, and directly chased after her while still holding the dirty plate.
Since crossing over, Lilia’s range of activity had actually been restricted to a single line between the bedchamber, study, kitchen, and Council Hall.
Hera walked ahead.
Holding the plate, Lilia felt the surrounding air temperature dropping in a straight line.
She shrank her neck.
If this were a horror movie, this would be the moment when a guaranteed-death option popped up.
“We’re here.”
Hera suddenly stopped.
In front of them was a door.
Calling it a door was almost an insult.
It was more like a gigantic slab of black dragon-severing stone, densely carved with red runes. Each rune wriggled slowly, emitting a nauseating bloody aura.
【Warning: Detected extremely high-density magic reaction.】
【Warning: This location is the “Eternal Night Treasury.” Unauthorized entry will result in instant annihilation.】
The System’s red alerts flashed wildly in her mind.
Lilia’s legs went weak, and she nearly threw the plate in her hands.
Treasury?
Why bring her here?
Could it be that because she had learned too many secrets yesterday, she was now going to be turned into a specimen and permanently stored inside?
No!
She hadn’t lived enough yet!
Hera raised her hand, placing her palm against the massive stone door.
Rumble—
The dull roar shook Lilia’s eardrums painfully.
The runes on the stone door seemed to come alive, frantically scattering outward.
The door opened.
The blinding golden light nearly blinded Lilia’s eyes.
Not the vulgar shine of gold coins.
But the radiance emitted by countless high-tier magic tools, divine artifacts, and rare materials piled together—so intense it even carried a tangible sense of pressure.
“Come in.”
Without even glancing back, Hera stepped inside.
Lilia took a deep breath and followed stiffly.
The moment she entered—
She was dumbfounded.
This wasn’t a treasury.
This was basically a storage room.
The divine artifact “Twilight Sword,” capable of triggering a world war, was casually tossed in a corner gathering dust.
A large pile of top-grade magic crystals emitting terrifying fluctuations were heaped on the ground like garbage, as if someone had just swept them aside.
Several robes that looked extremely expensive were actually hung on the skeleton of some unknown creature.
What a waste of heaven’s gifts!
This was practically a crime!
Lilia’s money-obsessed System had already gone insane.
【Ding! Discovered SSS-grade material “Abyss Dragon Crystal”! Recommendation: pick up immediately!】
【Ding! Discovered myth-grade equipment “Wall of Sighs”! Recommendation: pick up immediately!】
Shut up!
Hera walked into the middle of the chaotic pile of treasures and kicked aside a chalice blocking her path.
The chalice rolled twice, colliding with a staff and producing a crisp sound.
Lilia felt her heart bleeding at the sight.
“This is the foundation of the Palace of Eternal Night.”
Hera turned around and looked at Lilia, whose face was full of pained reluctance. “Weapons are on the left, consumables on the right. The messy stuff in the middle is garbage left by previous Demon Kings.”
Garbage?
Lilia looked at the black crown in that “garbage” pile emitting a destructive aura.
You call that garbage?
“You’ll be in charge of these.”
Hera spoke shockingly.
The plate in Lilia’s hands finally slipped.
Clang—
It fell to the ground.
“Huh?”
Lilia didn’t even bother picking it up, staring wide-eyed at Hera. “In… in charge of me?”
“What? Don’t want to do it?”
Hera slightly narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint flowing within her golden pupils.
“No, no, no! It’s not that I don’t want to!”
Lilia shook her head frantically, as if it might fall off. “It’s just… these are strategic-level resources…”
“If you’re going to audit military affairs, how can you not know the family assets?”
Hera interrupted her matter-of-factly. “Every time Grom applies for supplies, he asks like a lion opening its jaws wide. If you don’t even know how much stock is in the warehouse, how will you reject him?”
Lilia opened her mouth.
That made so much sense.
She couldn’t refute it at all.
But…
This was way too hasty!
This was like the CEO of a publicly listed company suddenly throwing the keys to the company vault to a receptionist who had just become a regular employee two days ago, saying, “From now on, you decide how to spend the money.”
This was asking for lives to be lost!
“What, scared?”
Hera walked up to Lilia, looking down at her from above.
That familiar sense of pressure returned.
Lilia could even smell the faint cool fragrance from Hera.
“Lilia does not dare.”
Lilia lowered her head, her voice trembling.
“Good.”
Hera reached out, her fingertip pressing against Lilia’s forehead.
Pain.
A scorching force instantly drilled into Lilia’s brain.
【Ding! Authority acquired: “Eternal Night Treasury” Level-2 Administrator.】
【Congratulations, Host. You are now the largest warehouse manager in the Demon Realm!】
Lilia wanted to cry but had no tears.
Who would want this kind of title?!
“Remember.”
Hera withdrew her hand. “You must manage every single item here properly.”
Lilia looked at the treasury that seemed endless at a glance.
“Any difficulties?”
“No!”
Lilia stood at attention and shouted loudly, “I guarantee to complete the task!”
“Let’s go. Next location.”
There’s more?
Lilia despaired.
In the next two hours—
Lilia experienced what it meant to be “hell-level team building.”
Hera took her to the “Magical Beast Breeding Ground,” pointed at the drooling Abyss three-headed hounds with three heads, and said, “This is also within your scope of work. From now on, you’ll decide their feed ratios.”
Then to the “Forbidden Library,” pointing at those black magic books that were still screaming and even trying to bite people: “These books are too noisy. Figure out a way to make them shut up and organize them by category.”
Then to the “Energy Core,” pointing at the massive magic core that pulsed continuously and could explode at any moment: “Monitor its values. If it overheats, notify the Magic Tower to cool it down.”
Lilia followed behind Hera.
From initial shock to eventual numbness.
She finally understood.
Hera wasn’t showing her around at all.
She was just looking for a free high-level manager!
Dumping the entire mess of the Palace of Eternal Night onto her in one go!
Even capitalists would shed tears hearing this.
Even the cruelest landlords would kneel upon seeing it.
What “personal maid.”
This was clearly a “jack-of-all-trades nanny plus administrative director plus warehouse manager plus breeder plus librarian”!
With no overtime pay!
Not even guaranteed personal safety!
“Tired?”
On the way back to the bedchamber, Hera suddenly slowed her pace.
At this point, Lilia was like a salted fish that had lost its dreams, dragging her heavy steps behind.
Hearing this, she immediately straightened her back.
“Not tired! Serving Master is Lilia’s honor!”
Even if she died from exhaustion—
Her words must remain stubborn.